Angola
Angola performs in the low range in Representation and Rule of Law, and in the mid-range in Participation and Rights, although the latter is at the border of low range performance. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries in the world with regard to Local Democracy, Basic Welfare, Social Group Equality, Judicial Independence, Civil Society and Electoral Participation. Over the past five years, Angola has experienced advances in Freedom of the Press, Absence of Corruption and Personal Integrity and Security. It has not suffered from any notable declines in that time period. Despite being one of the largest oil producers in Africa, Angola faces serious economic challenges. It is heavily dependent on its oil sector, which accounts for the majority of both government revenues and exports.
Prior to the arrival of Portuguese colonizers in the late 15th century, the land now called Angola was governed by several Bantu kingdoms, most notably the Kongo kingdom. Following its independence from Portugal in 1975 and until 2002, Angola was embroiled in a civil war as different anti-colonial guerrilla groups (principally the MPLA, FNLA and UNITA) fought for control of the country. These groups’ contrasting ideologies and differing ethnic origins (M`bundu, Bakongo, and Ovimbundu respectively) led to conflict after Portuguese forces left. The MPLA won the war and has held power continuously since independence. From 1979 to 2017, Angola was an authoritarian state, with limited political freedoms. There were some attempts to introduce democratic reforms, such as the introduction of a multiparty system in 1991 and the adoption of a new constitution in 2010, but these efforts were limited in scope and impact. Since 2017, a new government has implemented several reforms aimed at improving the country's democracy and governance.
Corruption is the main challenge in the country, affecting the economy, politics, and society, and eroding trust in government. The previous regime faced many allegations of widespread corruption, including the embezzlement of money from state-owned companies and banks. The oil sector was particularly targeted, and Sonangol, the state-owned company that oversaw oil production in Angola, is at the center of several corruption investigations. Additionally, the lack of diversified economic development has particularly affected opportunities for the youth, who now make up 60 per cent of the voting population and suffer from unemployment, poverty, and economic inequality. Their frustration has been channeled into anti-government protests and has been picked up on by UNITA for electoral gains.
Despite the gendered impacts of Angola’s long-standing conflict on women, women’s representation in political leadership has recently seen progress, guided by the National Gender Equality Policy. Nevertheless, systemic issues such as gender-based violence and gender gaps in economic participation remain. Angola has an ethnically diverse population, and despite ethnic differences in the early bases of support for UNITA and the MPLA, ethnicity is not a major political cleavage. A partial exception to this is the conflict between the central government and a separatist movement in the Cabinda exclave, which has continued at varying levels of intensity since the 1970s.
Looking ahead, it is important to watch action (or the lack thereof) on corruption cases. While the party has adopted new anti-corruption measures (anti-money laundering laws, repatriation of stolen assets initiatives, and public procurement laws and stronger enforcement mechanisms), critics have argued that the pace of progress against corruption has slowed. Beyond corruption, the increasing electoral support for UNITA may put the governing party under different kinds of pressure, and Credible Elections and Judicial Independence will be important to monitor as well.
Monthly Event Reports
January 2024 | Proposed national security law would significantly increase government power
At the end of January, the National Assembly gave preliminary (general) approval to a new national security law. The law was a proposal from the President. It will now continue through the legislative process in the coming weeks. The new law would concentrate control over security services in the presidency. It also expands the powers of the security services to conduct searches without warrants and to set up surveillance equipment. The government would also be empowered to take action against online media that it construes as endangering national security, and to fully shut down the Internet in Angola.
October 2023 | More than one hundred people detained after demonstration
Police and demonstrators clashed in the Angolan city of Saurimo (capital of the Lunda Sul province) on 8 October. The motivation for the demonstration was not completely clear, but press reports connect the demonstration to a movement that advocates for the independence of the eastern part of Angola, including Lunda Sul. The police confronted the demonstrators as they moved toward the city centre, and dispersed the crowd using tear gas, claiming that the demonstrators had begun to throw rocks and other objects at the police. At least 130 people (and perhaps as many as 200) were arrested. This most recent unrest follows a forceful police response to protests against cuts to fuel subsidies in June, and an August report from Human Rights Watch highlighting violence against political activists.
August 2022 | Election keeps MPLA in power but UNITA gains support
On 24 August Angola held an election for the National Assembly, and indirectly for the President. Observers from the African Union (AU) reported that balloting was carried out competently, but noted concerns about the opportunities for parties to hold events and regarding the transparency of an audit of voter registration lists. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has ruled Angola since independence, won the majority of the seats in the legislature and thus retains the presidency as well. However, the main opposition party, the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) increased its vote share from 27 per cent in 2017 to 44 per cent and doubled its number of seats in the National Assembly. UNITA challenged the result, alleging irregularities in the vote totals reported by the electoral authority. This challenge was rejected by the Constitutional Court on 9 September. The justices of the Constitutional Court were all appointed by MPLA presidents.
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